Jessica Simpson bags Vanity Fair cover

Jessica Simpson sizzles on first Vanity Fair cover

Jessica Simpson is well and truly silencing those 'fat' jibes. The latest one in the eye for her critics? Landing the cover of Vanity Fair.

The sexy Southern gal sizzles on the latest issue of the upmarket magazine, in which she talks ex-hubby Nick Lachey, their reality TV programme Newlyweds, and her latest romance with Dallas Cowboys quarterback, Tony Romo.

On Nick, to whom she was once married and who starred with her in the hilarious reality TV show Newlyweds, she says: 'I have not spoken to him in years. [As for the show,] in all honesty, I believe it did not affect our marriage.

'Because we enjoyed watching those episodes, and that will always be a time I cherish. It made me understand what marriage is, what love is, what commitment is.'

The pop-turned-country-singer says she doesn’t allow Dallas fans' criticism of her relationship to her latest squeeze Tony put her off; not even nicknaming her Yoko Romo will scare her away.

'That's how the story goes. Can't help it. But we don't let it affect our relationship. If we did, we wouldn't be together, because it happened at the very beginning.

'Dating the Cowboys quarterback comes with hype, the fans, the bloggers, but I've never dated a guy that was more simple.

'I'm always there for him after a game, and he knows he has me to come home to.'

And Tony says he appreciates that, too: 'You know, it's very hard when you lose, because games are important, and so many people put so much time and effort in. It's nice to have someone to come home to and try and make you feel better.

'She has a very small-town side to her. We're very similar in that we both appreciate the hometown feel to a lot of things, and live our life like that.'

And what about those media haters? 'When it comes to media criticism, that's just something I have had to train myself - literally train myself - to ignore.

'It comes with what I do, and I know that every day the media's going to challenge me, is going to want to bring me down.

'But I feel like I'm at such a place that I own myself, and it's authentic. I own that authentic part of myself, and none of those words are harsh enough to make me believe them....

'I can't imagine saying some of the things people have said about me about anybody else.'

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